Readers ask about Teenie Harris photo & Selma Burke scholarship

Friday at Auction Finds is readers’ questions day. I try to guide readers to resources for them to determine the value of the items that they own. I’m not able to appraise their treasures, but I can do some preliminary research to get them started. So, these are market values, not appraisal for insurance purposes that I suggest for items that have been determined to be of great value.

This week’s questions are about a photograph by Teenie Harris and a scholarship in the name of artist Selma Burke.

Photographer Teenie Harris (in inset at left), along with a photo of people practicing on a voting machine, circa 1944-1945.

Question:

I have a photo that is approx. 16.5″ X 20.5″ of John F. Kennedy on the pulpit speaking to a crowd in Monessen, Pennsylvania, October 13, 1962, by Charles “Teenie” Harris. This photo is signed by “Teenie” Harris in the lower right corner. I was wondering what value this photo may have due to the provenance of both Charles “Teenie” Harris and John F. Kennedy.

Answer:

I can’t offer any value on your photograph by Teenie Harris, whom I wrote about in a blog post more than a year ago. His works were on exhibit until April 2012 at the Carnegie Museum of Art in his hometown of Pittsburgh. The exhibit of 1,000 of photographs stopped in Chicago and Birmingham, AL, last year, and is scheduled for a stay at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library from Jan. 20-April 13, 2013.

For more than 40 years, Harris’ works appeared in the Pittsburgh Courier, showing off all manner of black people living their lives normally in images that were missing from the mainstream newspapers. He captured them getting married, going to church, going to school, having a good time, and attending political events. He also photographed famous black celebrities, along with Negro Leagues baseball teams.

As for your photo, please read my blog poston how to research the value of your items. You could also consider checking major auction houses in your area or nationally. Two that come to my mind are Freeman Auctioneers and Appraisers in Philadelphia, one of the oldest in the country, and Swann Auction Galleries in New York, both of which have photography departments with experts who can help you.

Check their websites and give their photog experts a call or drop an email, and describe what you have. Some auction houses have days where they’ll eyeball an item for free or reduced price. You can find that info on their websites.

If you plan to have the photo auctioned, keep in mind that you’ll have to pay for the service.

Could you please provide more information on the Selma Burke scholarship at PAFA?

Answer:

I got this question from a reader who came across a blog post I had written about African American artist Selma Burke, who died in 1995. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts has created an annual scholarship of $12,500 in her name.

Burke’s name is associated with the embossed image of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the dime. She and others felt that John Sinnock, the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver, had gratuitously copied her design for the coin but she was never credited with creating it. Sinnock was said to have lifted a design by John Frederick Lewis for a 1926 Benjamin Franklin half dollar.

In 1943, Burke won a competition to sculpt Roosevelt, and the result was a bronze relief plaque of the president in profile that was completed in 1944. The 3 1/2-by-2 ½ -foot piece hangs in the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington.

As for the scholarship, I have no more info, but I found the PAFA website by searching “Selma Burke scholarship” via Google. That’s always a first step: Go straight to Google, use the right search words and go for it.

Here’s a link to all of the scholarships at PAFA, along with registration info for enrolling at the school. The Selma Burke scholarship is listed there. You can call the school for more info (phone numbers are listed on the page).

Follow Auction Finds

Book Me to Speak on “Historical Treasures in Your Home”

Our houses are filled with memorabilia and artifacts that are part of our family's history and legacy. But far too often we don't know what we have or assume it's worth very little or nothing.

What valuable items are in your home or a family member's home?

I can show you what to look for, how to research its market value online, how to get it appraised by a licensed appraiser, and whether to keep it, donate it or sell it.

Contact me for a presentation before your group or organization, and have everyone to bring along an item to be evaluated. This flyer shows some items that have sold at auction.

About Sherry Howard

I started going to auctions to fuel my love for African American art – but at a bargain. I love the old masters: Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Hughie Lee-Smith. I wanted to find their works and discover other veteran artists whose works may have been hiding in an attic or basement, and forgotten.

I’m a journalist by profession: I was a newspaper reporter and editor. Now, I’m taking what I did as a journalist – peeling back the covers of people’s lives and writing about what I found – and applying it to auctions. And I’m loving it.

Visit me often to see what I come up with. I would also like to share stories and photos of what you find and your collections. Click my Contact page.

What is my stuff worth?

Here are some tips for things you can do on your own to help determine what your items are worth:

First, try the web. Search for items similar to yours.
Go to the library or browse at a bookstore. Look through price and collector's guides pertaining to your item.
Get a free or reduced-price appraisal. Find local auction houses in your town and check their websites to see if they offer these quick appraisals. You can find auction houses near you via auctionzip.com.Pay for a real appraisal. This could be your last step or your first step (if you have an item that you already know is valuable).

You can get more detailed information on each of these tips in my blog post on the subject.